


Alternate Hope and Revelations

by Gwennavierre



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Identity Reveal, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26727496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwennavierre/pseuds/Gwennavierre
Summary: Marinette couldn't form words, but when Adrien saw her fall to her knees, he knew he had to go help his friend.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 10
Kudos: 212





	Alternate Hope and Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is yet another "what if" scenario surrounding the scene before Adrien gets in the car to leave, after renouncing Plagg.  
> I haven't written fanfic in well over a decade, so forgive the writing. I honestly prefer more dialogue heavy fics, and might rewrite this to fit something like that, but I wanted to get the story down on here at least.  
> Constructive criticism is okay.

“My father’s right. I should have never come to New York.” Adrien dejectedly slid into the car, hoping the tears in his eyes hadn’t been visible to Marinette. Not that she’d judge him for crying, she wasn’t like that, but... he knew it didn’t make sense but he had hoped she would say something. ‘It’s not your fault’... ‘It won’t be the same without you’... ‘Stay, please’.... Instead she had remained silent, her face mirroring the anguish in his though he wasn’t sure why. Was she really so upset he was leaving early? Then why didn’t she say something? She hadn’t just given up her two closest friends after nearly killing one of them... but she looked every bit as miserable as he felt.  
He looked out to her one last moment, his hand on the car’s door ready to close it, when he saw her fall hard to her knees and start sobbing uncontrollably. Concern for his friend took over every other thought and he threw the door open, scrambling to get out and sprinting to her side and kneeling in front of her on the wet pavement. 

“Marinette! Are.. Are you okay?” he put his hands on her shoulders, urging her to look up at him and no longer caring if she saw how wet his own eyes were. He didn’t want to believe that him leaving would cause her this much distress and yet another knot of guilt joined in his heart. He didn’t want to be the reason she was hurting this much. He couldn’t be.... Not after everything she had done for him, for their friends... Marinette didn’t deserve to feel this way! 

The girl in question buried her face in her hands and leaned into him, her forehead landing gently against his chest. Another sob wracked her body and he could feel it shake his own through their small connections. “I... I’m so s-sorry, Adrien! I’m so sorry!” she sobbed into his shirt, her tears falling from her face and adding to the dampness on it from the rain. Marinette wasn’t entirely sure what she was apologizing to him for, but the words had left her without consulting her brain and they seemed right. She WAS sorry. Sorry that she had failed to keep two of the most important people in her life from leaving her, sorry she couldn’t do anything to help him convince his father to let him stay now that he was here, sorry she couldn’t bring herself to smile at him when her heart was so heavy...  
Adrien tightened his grip on her shoulders, still gentle but firm enough for her to feel them emphasize his next words.. “No, Marinette. You were perfect, as always.” She had gone up against his own father, who he remembered was her fashion designing idol, just so he could have the chance to be with his class on this amazing trip... why on earth would she be apologizing to HIM?  
Something sparked in Marinette’s mind at his words and she went still, her sobs quieting down to sniffles and short little gasps. She pulled her head away from his chest and raised her eyes to meet his with mild confusion evident on her face. Not breaking eye contact with the green eyed boy, she reached her right hand for his, slowly and deliberately placing her fingers over his one by one. Adrien felt a shiver travel up his spine but couldn’t place why as he felt her fingertips explore the back of his hand. Her eyes grew wide as the pad of her middle finger stopped on the back of his ring finger, newly bare from where his miraculous had been until so very recently.... 

He resisted the urge to pull his hand away, not wanting to make her feel bad but also not wanting to be reminded of everything that had led to this point. The ring was gone. The chance of him ever seeing Ladybug again was gone. And for some reason he felt as though his friendship with Marinette was slipping through his naked fingers.... which he realized she was holding in front of her now. He didn’t remember her pulling his hand from her shoulder and squeezing it tight in her own, but now she was shakily bringing herself to a standing position. He braced his arm for her to push up against so she could stand, then allowed her to help pull him up next to her. Glancing at her face, he saw the sorrow had been replaced by something that resembled.... hope. Before he could spend more time thinking about it, however, the raven haired girl looked past his shoulder at the group who had been silently watching their exchange before turning and walking quickly in the direction she had come from, his hand firmly held in her grip. 

“Marinette, wha-?” 

She interrupted him with a “Shh!” and picked up her pace, his longer legs having no trouble keeping up with her.  
Once she was sure the other students and any other onlookers were far away, she abruptly stopped, Adrien bumping into her back and quickly wrapping his left arm around her waist as she lost her balance, pulling her against him to steady them both. Marinette let out what sounded like a small laugh before turning into him and wrapping her arms tightly around him, face nuzzling into his chest. 

“Marinette....” he repeated, while tentatively putting his arms around her back. “What’s going on?” 

“I thought I’d lost you.” Her voice was so quiet he could barely make it out over the sound of the scattered rain drops still coming down. 

Confusion laced his voice. “It... it’s not like you weren’t going to see me ever again, you know. It’s just for the week, right?” He knew there was a piece missing to this that would clarify everything she was saying and doing, but he didn’t know what it was. She had seemed so broken by the hotel... she was sobbing... she was holding his hand... she was saying she thought she lost him... Marinette has always been a bit... over the top... but this? This was something different. His confusion only increased as he felt and heard her laugh almost mirthlessly into his wet shirt. 

“We all make mistakes, and my biggest mistake today was not remembering to give my best friend the same leniency I’ve given others.” She tilted her head up to look at him and he looked down at her and couldn’t help the soft look that spread over his features. He wasn’t entirely sure why she was telling him this, but he felt his heart ache... Ladybug had been harsh with him today. For good reason, sure, but... 

“I... I’ve made a LOT of mistakes, Adrien. And every time, he was.. was there to remind me not to be too hard on myself. To tell me that things would be okay even if I couldn’t see how. And today... today I failed him.”  
Adrien listened to her speak, gazing into her shining blue eyes with concern in his own. She sounded so sad, and he wanted to help her feel better. Marinette, fail someone? That didn’t sound like her. And who was she talking about? He tried to ignore the slight pang of jealousy that flashed through him. He wanted to be there for her, like this friend she was talking about. Who WAS she talking about? 

His mind was an intricate tapestry that had been left in a room full of cats, and trying to untangle the jumble of colorful thread and tattered pieces was proving more difficult that he cared to admit. But Marinette was still speaking, her eyes still shining with tears, both shed and unshed. And he made an effort to block out the images of Uncanny Valley jumping in front of Ladybug and taking his cataclysm. Ladybug’s eyes as she told him she would never trust him again. Plagg’s face as he betrayed the creature who had been his only confidant for the past year... And yet... something about what Marinette was saying was.. Familiar. Puzzle pieces. Threads. He strained to hear her through his thoughts and focused on her lips as they moved, noticing her tongue dart out occasionally to moisten them despite the occasional rain drop landing on them. 

“When he needed me to be there for him, I shoved his mistake into his face without a second thought. I hurt him. And then he left, feeling like he had failed me instead of the other way around.” 

Adrien had failed Ladybug today... 

“I couldn’t even run after him. I didn’t think I had the right to.” 

Ladybug had called after him, but hadn’t chased him down. She probably knew she was better off without him and his destructive tendencies... 

“But I should have. I should have tackled him down and begged him to forgive me for not giving him the same kindness he’s given to me so many times.” 

Adrien smiled slightly at the memories of Ladybug hugging him, thanking him for believing in her. As if he would ever NOT believe in her... even when her mistake had ultimately led to them losing the help of Master Fu, he knew she was an amazing Ladybug and told her as much. 

Adrien stopped smiling when he realized Marinette had gone silent. She had a questioning look on her face, her lips tilted into a shy smile and her brows knitted. For a few moments they stayed like that.. Staring into each other’s eyes. Adrien slowly piecing his torn tapestry of thoughts together while she seemed to be.... waiting for something? He heard her let out a long sigh and felt her arm leave his back. 

Reaching into her pocket, Marinette looked up at him again, something in her hand that was small enough he couldn’t see it. She reached her closed fist out to him and smiled. 

“You dropped something, my kitty.” 

As if Ladybug had thrown up her lucky charm and called for the miraculous ladybugs, the destroyed tapestry in Adrien’s mind wove itself back together. The picture on it was more beautiful that he had ever believed possible, and his eyes widened in a combination of comprehension and shock as he held out his hand, knowing full well what Marinette was about to place in it. 

Her smile grew as she watched his face transform into something joyful. 

“It took you a bit to catch on... I almost worried I had made a mistake and that my cat really WAS gone for good....” she let out a strangled laugh and he saw the lingering doubt in her eyes. Not that she was wrong about him being Chat Noir, but doubt that he would agree to STILL be her Chat Noir. Her cat. Hers. His heart sang as he slammed the ring onto his finger, his knuckle cracking audibly under it. Plagg flew out from the miraculous and Adrien grabbed the kwami to his face and snuggled into him. Plagg didn’t even complain and Adrien swore he felt him purring against his wet cheek. 

“I admit I was caught up in my thoughts, wishing Ladybug had been saying those things to me, and I didn’t realize that she WAS saying those things to me until you called me your kitty...” he felt his face heat up at that and let his voice trail off. 

“So... you’ll stay with me? I mean, not WITH me, with me, but... stay... As my Chat Noir, I mean. Not MY Chat Noir, well, yes mine, but not like that... but Paris! Not.. not here in New York. I mean, I WANT you to stay in New York, but, well....” 

Adrien started laughing as he watched her face get redder with every word... she was so adorable when flustered, and knowing that she was Ladybug (who seemed to never get flustered at anything) both amused him and made him cherish Marinette more than he already did. 

“Sh-shut up, stupid cat.” She tried to look mad but it didn’t work. He smiled softly at her.

“As you wish, My Lady.”


End file.
